Sleep Depravation
by Namain.West
Summary: Depriving someone of sleep is a big no, no. Usagi knows this from first hand experience. She can’t wait to get her hands on the culprit. This story takes place near the very beginning of the Sailor Moon series.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Depriving someone of sleep is a big no, no. Usagi knows this from first hand experience. She can't wait to get her hands on the culprit. This story takes place near the very beginning of the Sailor Moon series. Usagi/Jadeite

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon. I'm just twisting her story.

Authors notes: I decided to write this from one of many ideas floating in my head. Don't stare at your computer screen bemusedly and question why people write stories about these two characters. Something different I guess. And I like odd pairings. So there you have it, the logical reasoning behind my madness. Any who, this story will be about five chapters long and happens really early in the anime. The plot is progressing rather slowly. I am lazy. Sorry, as you can tell, this story has no beta reader. (Though I tried correcting my mistakes. Honestly I tried!)

Sleep Depravation

Chapter 1: Random thoughts

By: Namain West

oo

1:08

Silence predominated the darkness of Usagi Tsukino's bedroom. On a squat mantel beside the bed rested a pink electronic clock, its glowing numbers emitted the only source of light upon the empty room. The seconds slowly trickled by and soon another minute of blissful calm would slip inconspicuously away. Silence and darkness went well together on a Thursday morning.

1:09

The snapping of branches and the hushed sounds of grating wood disturbed the tranquility of the moment. A dark shape lingered unsurely by the unfasten window adjacent to the frilly pink bed, as if fearing the possibility of awakening the sleeping inhabitants within the darken house. The window slowly slid open on its plastic hinges and the shadow made its silent decent onto the tussled pillows scattered haphazardly amongst the rumpled blankets. She finally made it home.

1:11

Usagi sighed wearily, resting her head upon her pillow, she clenched her cold fists and tucked them against the underside of her chin. "That stupid youma took forever to beat… I thought it'd last all night!" She bemoaned miserably to her guardian.

Luna rolled her eyes, "With practice comes skill," she advised knowingly. The feline expertly balanced herself on the narrow windowsill and made a calculated leap upon Usagi's bed.

The teenager whined childishly, "Why couldn't skill be magically thrust-ed upon me like my alter ego was?"

She neither liked nor disliked the radical change made in her young life. It was still too surreal for her to comprehend the totality of becoming Sailor Moon. At the moment of her first transformation, she found the ordeal with the strange vocal kitty outlandishly fabulous and undeniably glamorous. She anticipated the headlines in the latest tabloids glorifying her image as an ultra sleek heroine of justice.

However, frequent battles with youma were beginning to disrupt her normal rituals of being a carefree teenager. Her ideals of being a superhero dwindled into dust once she had started canceling sleepover parties with her girlfriends. Her social life was being flushed down the crapper and her grades…

She dreaded thinking about her grades; they weren't exceptional to begin with, imagine how she handled them now. Probably failed a class or two or three. The only thing that improved because of her new role in life was drama (improvisation) and Physical Education (stamina).

A pair of paws flexed companionably against Usagi's sweaty back, making the schoolgirl cringe at the thought that germs congregated from the outside world were now contaminating her soft warm bed.

Usagi could hear the tone of reassurance in Luna's words but couldn't decipher its meaning, she needed to get out of her street clothes and into a hot bath pronto. Rolling out of bed, she scratched the soft junction behind Luna's ears and listened as her guardian purred appreciatively. Luna yawned, curling her tongue and revealing sharp canine teeth. Usagi liked it when animals yawn, she couldn't help the loopy grin at the sight of it.

1:18

"I'm going to take a quick shower now 'kay Luna? Set the alarm won't you?" Usagi asked tiredly.

She heard a mumbled response from her guardian while she was collecting the necessities for her shower. Without turning on the lights, she wandered blindly into the darkness of the hallways. Instinctively discovering the entranceway of the bathroom, Usagi silently shut the door and flipped on the lights. She placed her belongings upon the counter, stripped away her dirty clothes and performed the mindless task of cleansing her body of grit and grime.

.1:27

Upon returning to her room, Usagi dumped her rumpled clothes into her hamper and slipped underneath her blankets. The teenager skimmed the clock and spotted the little red dot beside the numbers. A telltale sign that Luna had indeed set the alarm before floating off to kitty dreamland.

Sighing contently at the soft firm give of the mattress against the solid weight of her, Usagi realigned her spine with the arching of her shoulders and a measured twist of her hip. She heard the pleasant popping sound and rolled onto her side, ready for dreams of Tuxedo Mask and Motoki to take over.

.1:35

The dreams were not coming; her mind wandered off to thoughts of better procedures in eliminating youma.

.1:39

She tried to distract her mind with imaginary kisses from Tuxedo Mask and all the romantically eloquent words she fondly hoped he'd say to her one day.

.1:50

'Thinking of school always puts me to sleep', Usagi thought anxiously.

.2:00

She lost all sense as her mind started rambling. 'Stupid blond, where's Tuxedo Mask to woe me off to sleep?'

.2:19

'The newest Sailor V game coming out in November. The romantic comedy now playing in theaters.' The thought of Youma came right out of left field; how she wished she knew how to do a roundhouse kick. 'What the heck is a roundhouse kick anyway?' Perhaps tomorrow she'd read up on the definition.

.2:47

'That man! That evil, evil man! _He_ is the perpetrator behind the youma attacks! He's the one I should be using as target practice for the fatal 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon' technique! Wait a minute… Wasn't that a movie? Isn't there some sort of inguinal joke hidden somewhere in that saying?'

.3:33

Staring at her alarm clock despairingly, Usagi watched as the minutes slipped by. And then she heard something.

'…Is Luna… snoring?'

.3:34

'Yup, snoring indeed.'

.3:39

'…Never knew cats could snore…'

.3:48

'Any louder it'll wake the whole house.'

She'd mention it in the morning. The look of indignation on Luna's face would be priceless.

.3:52

……..

.3:56

'I hate blond haired men. Dirty blonds are okay, but not 'blond' blonds.'

.4:00

'Wonder if I snore…'

.4:05

'Whoa… Now I get it! Crouching Tiger, '_Hidden'_ Dragon. Very dirty indeed. Scratch that off the _Sailor Moon Super Special Fighting Technique_ list.'

.4:10

'What ramifications would occur because of my actions tonight? Am I going to function at all tomorrow? Maybe I can call in sick and sleep in. Mama would probably understand but what if she thinks I was playing video games all night and grounds me or something? I don't want to be grounded! I like my Sailor V games. She'd take them away for sure!'

.4:19

'But who's the Tiger and who's the Dragon? Oh don't even go there Usagi…'

.4:22

'Men with short blond wavy hair, are so so so soooo uncool. Men with masks holding roses and spouting encouraging pep talk are awesome!'

.5:00

'I've heard that energy drink 'Red Bull' gives you wings. I might have to buy me some of that quick haste. What? Quick haste? Is that even a saying? Post wit? Am I making things up as I go here?'

.5:09

'Stupid men and their sexist ways. Always trying to beat me up with 'Swap _thang_' youma.'

.5:11

'Energy drinks come in different sizes, better get the biggest one.'

.5:33

'Detention's good for something, at least I'll be getting some shuteye.'

.5:46

'Wonder what daddy's coffee taste like…. Mama always adds two mountainous scoops of coffee grounds in the filter. Should be strong and mighty potent.'

.5:52

'Hahahaha! Now I get it! That's freakin' funny! Oh Naru-chan, I didn't know you had it in you. Seriously need to congratulate you on your wicked humor. Why hadn't I thought of that one?'

.6:00

The sun was yet to peek from beyond the horizon when, unexpectedly, the alarm clock went off. Luna was instantly jerked awake by the blaring noise.

Arching her back skyward, the feline balanced herself on the tips of her paws and released a long leisurely yawn. Tucking her tail against her hind legs, she rubbed her whiskered face against her shoulder and hit the snooze button. Luna shook her head and gathered her bearings in preparation of the odious trial of awakening a teenager at rest.

The sight before her caught her off guard, "How long have you been awake?" Luna asked.

"…Hours..."

oo

End notes: Thank you so much for reading. I'd appreciate to know what you thought about this first chapter. Was the humor any good? Did Usagi behave like a normal teenager to you? She did use a few words that were… um… more sophisticated for her tastes, but I know a few people in high school (not to mention college) who were trying to broaden their vocabulary skills. I know I give it a go every once and a while and I do believe this is natural development for teenagers. Leave a review and tell me what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

Authors notes: My sister came to visit the family. Very nice indeed, but not for over a month! She took over the spare room where I keep the computer. Alas, so sad she had to leave but I'm glad to have the Internet back. This chapter is literally slow. But what can I say…

Tough I have failed to mention his name, Usagi does think about him.

Sleep Depravation

Chapter 2: Nodding off

By: Namain

School went by in a half daze for Usagi Tsukino. She was physically present but her mind was glitching sporadically. Like a computer it kept shutting down and rebooting itself at odd intervals. It happened often during one particular class session; the substitute had a knack of emphasizing vowels in his speech instead of accentuating the important meanings and dates within the topic. Usagi adamantly focused on the lecture that the instructor was drawling on about and failed miserably.

A good three minutes listening to his voice; Usagi noticed the clarity of her vision becoming slightly unfocused. The lines and words on her notebook blurred. The voice that was once understood as a pattern of words linked together to form meaning had gradually become nothing more than white noise. She watched indifferently as her peripheral vision began to darken until everything turned foggy and then black.

Her palm slipped from under her chin and she jerked back into sudden awareness. Shaking the cobwebs out of her head, Usagi sat straighter in her seat and focused on her notes. Said notes were filled with half finished sentences and jumbled squiggles scarcely resembling words. All she wanted to do at that moment was scream. Vehemently erasing the squiggles, Usagi hoped she could copy Naru's notes after class.

If you asked Usagi what she learned in history, she would probably blink owlishly and remain silent, or perhaps she would simply change the subject. She learned nothing that day except that her daddy's coffee tasted like _'blargh'_, Monster drinks came in jumbo size, and a sugar rush is sublime. She fought a battle in all her classes and made it through without head-desking the table. Usagi thanked kami for granting small miracles.

Not wanting to overtax her brain with jotting down page after page of Naru's descriptive math, english, and history notes, Usagi decided it was easier to pay a visit to the schools library and the copy machine after class.

oo

Usagi stapled the warm parchments into her notebook and congratulated herself in discovering a new way of underachieving her way through the educational system. 'It's not as if I'm cheating,' she thought offhandedly as she exited out of the library and straight for detention. 'I'd be cheating if I was looking over Naru's shoulder during test time.'

Finding a vacant seat in the back of the classroom, Usagi examined her history textbook. With a critical eye, Usagi highlighted the important bits of information, added a few extra dates, and scribbled glossary terms to the side margins of her newly acquired notes. As time wore on, Usagi snacked on a power bar that she pilfered from her daddy's study desk earlier in the morning. She watched droopily as the minute hand on the clock ticked slowly around. Not finding any purpose to her staring, she shifted her gaze to the seconds ticking swiftly around the face of the clock instead.

oo

When detention had finally concluded for the day, Usagi wanted to cheer in gratitude. Quickly gathering up her belongings and shoving them into her bag, she speedily made her way down the stairs, through the empty hallways, and out the main gates of hell. Her sole thought was to go home and sleep.

Turning a corner at a slight jog, Usagi bypassed a black cat sprawled spread-eagle on the sidewalk. The black cat cried out to her faintly, "Usagi….y-youma…on the sightseeing …"

The blond froze mid-step as an ominous feeling washed over her. She knew better than to cross the path of a black cat. Pretending deaf, Usagi quickened her steps wanting to cross the intersection before traffic picked up again. All the while praying that Luna wouldn't-

"Guurck!"

Razor claws hooked themselves in the back of Usagi's uniform and the heavy weight of impending doom blossomed in the pit of the schoolgirls stomach.

"Uuuusaagiii…" Luna hissed warningly, "If you don't transform… you'll know what I'm capable of." The feline pressed her claws threateningly through the fabric and into the blonds flesh for emphasis.

"Roger that captain!" Usagi cried a little too cheerily, "But I need to make a stop first."

Crossing the street, the schoolgirl (with a black cat clinging to her back) headed straight for the nearest gas station. The employees manning the registers paid the young blond no mind as she entered the store… until Usagi turned her back towards the cashiers and they discovered a frazzled looking cat dangling like accessory on the back of the schoolgirls shirt. The women behind the counter watched the cat in mild amusement as it flexed its paws deeper into the fabric (getting a better hold of her quarry it seemed). If they squinted just right it looked as if the black cat was grinding its teeth together.

It was a silly sight to behold.

Not wanting to be rude to the girl, the workers decided not to reprimand the blond for bring an animal into the store. At least the cat wasn't running around getting into things and making a mess of the place. The girl approached the counter with a 'Full Throttle' clutched in her hand. She paused momentarily and bent down to retrieve a chocolate bar, "Better get this to," she mumbled as she placed both items on the counter and dug in her skirt pockets for money.

Upon exiting the store, Usagi snapped open the energy drink and took a huge gulp. She slinked her way towards a back alley and placed the consumable goods on the floor. Usagi asked Luna as politely as she could to detach herself from her _bleeding_ back. When the weight lifted, the schoolgirl sighed in relief and immediately transformed into Sailor Moon. Picking up her goods, she asked her guardian the whereabouts of the elusive monster of the day.

Anticipating a quick and easy triumph, Usagi prayed she'd be home by six and in bed by six-thirty. But if she had to face off with that annoying blond Shitennou, she'd have to alter her schedule slightly. He was a sexist pig and enjoyed rubbing all the inadequacies of Sailor Moon in her face. Oh how she hated him. It was his fault she couldn't catch a decent nights sleep and perhaps the next time they meet, she'd get to punch him in the face for all his troubles.

"It could be anywhere. Like I said before, it was a tour bus."

"A t-t-to-tou-tour BUS?" Sailor Moon trailed off, all hopes of sleeping in early shattered at the thought of running around tracking down a moving vehicle.

"…You mean that I gotta…Gyah! Why can't this be easy LUNA!"

Chugging down her drink, Sailor Moon tossed the empty can into the nearest trash bin and ripped the wrapper from her candy bar. Here she thought school was going to be long and strenuous. Youma and Shitennou just had to be added into the mix.

oo


End file.
